You have the freedom as an employment seeker and an employee to do a background search of the workplace. Alternatively, by doing a job screening, companies have some responsibilities to you too.

Is it possible for your employer to refuse you a career because of your criminal record?

Your employer cannot merely refuse you a position based purely on criminal background. Nevertheless, an employer can refuse to hire you or fire you based on a conviction when it is a “business necessity.” Furthermore, certain states’ rules prohibit companies from considering arrest reports that do not end in felony sentences. When the company employs a consumer service organization to perform felony record checks, the agency is not required to disclose records that are more than seven years old under federal legislation.

What exactly is a “business necessity?”

The term “business necessity” refers to the fact that the felony conviction in the hiring process is vital to the work. The employer’s decision to reject job applications or terminate workers based on criminal charges must specifically link particular illegal activity to the threats associated with the job duties. The company must consider the seriousness of the offence, the duration since the arrest and perform an individualized review to decide if rejection or dismissal is required in light of the conviction.

What employment involve background checks?

For certain professions, such as those in law enforcement, pharmacy and education, and finance, most state regulations compel employees to perform background checks.

Since felons are prohibited from handling weapons, law enforcement firms would undoubtedly refuse to hire someone with a criminal record. Employers in the health-care, childcare, education, and other careers who work with vulnerable people can refuse to recruit people who have been convicted of assault or neglect. Banks may deny people accused of stealing, burglary, or money laundering jobs.

Possibility of getting a conviction or arrest off the record 

You may be allowed to get the documents erased or sealed such that an employer is unaware of them. Few sentences apply for expungement – which is the method of excluding any recorded ties to previous convictions. You have the option of sealing the prosecution and prison history so that they are not open to the general public. Prosecutors and law enforcement can always have connections to the documents that have been sealed. Check the state’s laws on expungement and sealing techniques.

Obtaining a print of the background investigation

In maximum cases, you have the right to get a copy of the background check, especially if your boss wishes to terminate you, not to hold you, or not to recruit you, depending on the background check results. State rules, on the other hand, can differ.

Disputed background check facts.

You have the right to challenge any details on your background check that you feel is incorrect. To ensure that the local police department’s details or the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) are accurate, the first move is to seek it.

If the employer employs a customer reporting firm, you should insist that the reporting agency correct the errors. You can also inform the boss of the error.

The rule, however, would not compel your boss to recruit or rehire you if the choice was taken based on facts that later proved to be wrong. Many bosses can be sensitive to your circumstance, so it is essential to let them know about your faults.

What would you do if you have been sacked or refused a career because of a background check’s findings?

If you feel that your workplace discriminated against you because of your ethnicity, colour, national origin, sexuality, sex, impairment, genetic material, or age, you can bring a discrimination lawsuit with the Equal Opportunity Employment Commission. You can sue the Federal Trade Commission if you think your company has broken the Fair Consumer Reporting Act by presenting facts that should not have been published.